Author: Ekmekjian Janet

Clinton Helps Salvage Turkey-Armenia Pact

rld/main5376076.shtml
ZURICH, Oct. 10, 2009

Signing Ceremony for Accord Opposed by Hardliners Back on After Dispute
Over Statements; Clinton, Swiss Mediators Intervene

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton engaged in last-minute
diplomacy on Saturday aimed at salvaging an accord to establish
diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia after a century of
enmity.

The agreement was supposed to be signed by the Turkish and Armenian
foreign ministers at a reception in the Swiss city of Zurich, with
Clinton among the world dignitaries in attendance. But
a dispute over the statements the countries would make sparked a delay,
and forced her to intervene.

"She’s involved in working out an agreeable text," said a senior U.S.
State Department official. "She’s talking with the Armenian foreign
minister, and she had a long talk with the Turkish foreign minister."

Clinton and the Armenian delegation arrived at the signing ceremony
about 90 minutes after it was supposed to begin. Clinton had abruptly
returned to her hotel just before the scheduled start as problems
emerged.

Diplomats said the Armenians were concerned about wording in the
Turkish statement that was to be made after the signing ceremony.

The Turks and Armenians are to sign an accord establishing diplomatic
ties in hope of reopening their border and ending a century of acrimony
over their bloody past.

Their parliaments are expected to ratify it, but nationalists on both
sides are seeking to derail implementation of the agreement.

Major countries, however, expressed their support for the accord, with
the foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, France and the
European Union in the room to watch the signing.

The contentious issue of whether the deaths of Armenians during the
final days of the Ottoman Empire amounted to genocide is only hinted at
in the agreement, which calls for diplomatic ties for the first time
and the opening of the border within two months.

The agreement calls for a panel to discuss "the historical dimension"
of the killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians during World War
I. The discussion is to include "an impartial scientific examination of
the historical records and archives to define existing problems and
formulate recommendations."

That clause is viewed as a concession to Turkey, because Armenia has
said that genocide was confirmed by international historians and
further discussion could lead to deadlock.

Turkey denies genocide, contending the toll is inflated and that those
killed were victims of civil war.

"There is no alternative to the establishment of the relations with
Turkey without any precondition," said Sarkisian. "It is the dictate of
the time."

Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner were among the leaders who were on hand to
attend the signing, when it takes place.

Better ties between Turkey, a regional heavyweight, and poor,
landlocked Armenia are a priority for President Barack Obama. They
could help reduce tensions in the troubled Caucasus region and
facilitate its growing role as a corridor for energy supplies bound for
the West.

Javier Solana, the EU’s foreign policy chief, thanked Turkey, which is
a candidate for EU membership.

"This is an important cooperation, no doubt, of Turkey to solve one
issue that pertains to a region which is in our neighborhood," Solana
told AP Television News after arriving in Zurich.

Switzerland, which mediated six weeks of talks between Turkey and
Armenia to reach the accord, is hosting the signing.

(CBS)Another source of dispute is Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave in
Azerbaijan that is occupied by Armenian troops. Turks have close
cultural and linguistic ties with Azerbaijan, which is pressing Turkey
for help in recovering its land. Turkey shut its border with Armenia to
protest the Armenian invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh in 1993.

Turkey wants Armenia to withdraw some troops from the enclave area to
show goodwill and speed the opening of their joint border, but Armenia
has yet to agree, said Omer Taspinar, Turkey project director at the
Brookings Institution in Washington.

"We may end up in a kind of awkward situation where there are
diplomatic relations, but the border is still closed," Taspinar said.

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the
agreement doesn’t directly involve the United States, noted that
President Barack Obama spoke to Armenian President Serge Sarkisian to
reaffirm his support for the normalization process.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was taking
steps with "goodwill" to restore ties with Armenia but that it was keen
on seeing Armenian troops withdrawn from Nagorno-Karabakh.

"We are trying to boost our relations with Armenia in a way that will
cause no hard feelings for Azerbaijan," Erdogan told reporters in
Turkey.

Erdogan said Turkey’s relations with Armenia after the agreement is
signed Saturday will run parallel to the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

(AP/Tigran Tadevosyan, Photolure)Necati Cetinkaya, a deputy chairman of
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, defended the deal,
saying "sincere steps that are being taken will benefit Turkey." He
said Turkey is aiming to form friendly ties with all its neighbors and
could benefit from trade with Armenia.

(Left: Demonstrators holding placards reading "No concessions to Turks"
rally in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Friday, Oct. 9, 2009. About
10,000 protesters rallied against the planned signing of a deal to
normalize ties with neighboring Turkey.)

But Yilmaz Ates of the main opposition Republican People’s Party said
Turkey should avoid any concessions.

"If Armenia wants to repair relations … then it should end occupation
of Nagorno-Karabakh, that’s it," Ates said Saturday.

About 10,000 protesters rallied Friday in Armenia’s capital to oppose
the signing, and a tour of Armenian communities by Sarkisian sparked
protests in Lebanon and France, with demonstrators in Paris shouting
"Traitor!"

© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated
Press contributed to this report.

KENTIKIAN PROMISES A TOUGH FIGHT

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.10.2009 13:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Double world champion, "Killer Queen" Susi Kentikian
promises a tough fight against her rival Julia Sahin.

"Of course I know Julia Sahin well, her fighting style is very well
known. She is the undefeated champion in a lower weight class, very
agile and quick, but I am too. And I punch harder. Even if you can’t
guarantee a KO, I will live up to my nickname ‘Killer Queen.’ My
preparation has been and will still be very intense in the coming
weeks. It will be a very tough fight!"

Kentikian and Sahin will compete in a world boxing championship
flyweight title fight in Rostock on Saturday, Oct. 10.

CEREMONY OF SIGNING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS TO BE HELD IN ZURICH TODAY

ArmInfo
2009-10-10 14:12:00

ArmInfo. Armenia’s Foreign Minister, Edward Nalbandian, and Turkey’s
Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, will sign the Protocols on
establishment of diplomatic relations and development of bilateral
cooperation today at 8:00 PM by Yerevan time. They will sign the
Protocols in the presence of Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline
Calmy-Rey.

As Swiss Foreign Ministry press service reports, the signing ceremony
will also be attended by US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham
Clinton, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, the French
Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, the Slovenian Foreign Minister
and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe,
Samuel Zbogar, and the Secretary-General of the Council of the European
Union, Javier Solana.

SAMVEL BABAYAN: TURKEY WILL NOT OPEN THE BORDER WITHOUT RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH PROBLEM

Noyan Tapan
Oct 9, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. "We can by no means make a compromise
regarding the Karabakh problem," former Commander of the NKR Defence
Army Samvel Babayan stated at the October 9 press conference. In his
words, the Karabakh problem is addressed not in a concealed, but in
a plain way in the pre-signed Armenia-Turkey protocols.

He said that according to his information, Turkey will not open the
border without the resolution of the Karabakh problem. "We should be
cautious and follow closely the Karabakh peace talks," he noted, adding
that no one may make a compromise with respect to Karabakh territories:
people can speak about it, but they cannot do it. "No one can do it:
whether it be Serzh Sargsyan, me or some other person. Those who
fought against Azerbaijan and liberated these lands will not allow
doing such a thing," S. Babayan said.

It is a matter of life and death for the people of Artsakh, they
cannot behave otherwise. "They must be well-organized and defend what
they have.

They must defend it against those who are going to make compromises,
no matter who – an Armenian or a Turk is going to do so," S. Babayan
declared.

He expressed an opinion that the Armenian president should draw
conclusions from his meetings with Diaspora, and he should try to
either make changes in the documents or ruin that process. Otherwise,
according to S. Babayan, "the Armenian nation will split both inside
and outside".

In the opinion of S. Babayan, Armenia pre-signed the protocols without
any pressure by external forces: it took this step voluntarily. He
noted that the ARF has no alternative and must struggle against
the ratification of the protocols. "We all should help the ARF to
achieve success," he said, adding that he is even prepared to demand
the Armenian president’s resignation.

RA FM THANKED FRENCH GOVERNMENT FOR CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN PRESERVATION OF PEACE AT SOUTH CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.10.2009 12:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met
presidential diplomatic councilor Jean-David Levitte in Paris, RA
MFA press service reported.

The parties focused on a wide range of issues regarding RA-France
friendly relations development. Edward Nalbandian and Jean-David
Levitte gave high assessment to RA-France relations and discussed
regional and international issues of mutual interest. RA FM thanked
French government for constructive role in preservation of peace and
stability at South Caucasus.

OFFICIALS DON’T EXPECT BREAKTHROUGH IN TODAY’S KARABAKH TALKS

Today’s Zaman
08 October 2009, Thursday

Moldova’s capital, Chisinau, is set to host new talks between Armenian
and Azerbaijani leaders concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute today,
but officials involved in the issue have tamed high expectations
concerning the outcome of the meeting, which will be held on the
sidelines of a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Armenia went to war with neighboring Azerbaijan in the early 1990s over
the mountainous territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian
enclave located within Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized
borders. Some 30,000 people died.

The war ended with a 1994 cease-fire after Armenian-backed forces
seized control of Nagorno-Karabakh and districts around it, including
a corridor of Azerbaijani land connecting it to Armenia.

International mediators have been putting pressure on Armenia to
negotiate with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a wider
attempt to secure a lasting peace in the region. Robert Bradtke,
the US co-chair of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has been working for a decade
and a half to mediate the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, told reporters in Baku he hoped that the "positive
dynamics" between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders would continue at
the Chisinau meeting. "There are intensified efforts … to make sure
that at some point, relatively soon, there will be something from the
Karabakh process that could help the Turkish-Armenian process move
forward," a senior European diplomat told Reuters, referring to the
ongoing normalization process between Ankara and Yerevan.

But, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity
surrounding the talks, the European diplomat added that he did not
expect any major announcement in Moldova, saying, "I think it’s going
to take longer than that."

The Chisinau talks come only two days before a and Turkish foreign
ministers are expected to sign protocols aimed at establishing
diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey and opening the
border. Ahead of today’s talks with Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan,
Azerbaijani President Ä°lham Aliyev upped the stakes by saying,
"The negotiation process [on Nagorno-Karabakh] is already in its
final phase."

Observers believe Azerbaijan is pushing for at least a partial
Armenian withdrawal from seven Azerbaijani districts that surround
Nagorno-Karabakh which were captured during the war. "Armenia … wants
to separate Karabakh from Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijan intends to
take back our own lands under our own control," Azerbaijani Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said. Armenian officials played down
expectations. "To say that tomorrow there will be a breakthrough,
I don’t know where this kind of expectation could come from,"
an Armenian foreign ministry spokesman said. The senior European
diplomat, when asked about the chances of Turkey opening the border as
planned by year’s end, without progress on Nagorno-Karabakh, replied
"fairly slim."

CROSS TURKEY WITH 44 WOLVES

15441.html
14:12:57 – 07/10/2009

As the debate over the closed border between Turkey and Armenia
intensifies with the recent talk of normalizing relations, an
Italian-Armenian also waits for a green light from the Turkish
authorities to enter Turkey.

Ararad Khatchikan is not interested in visiting his distant kinsmen in
any Turkish village, nor in making small-scale trade agreements with
Turkish vendors. Instead, his sole aim is to carry a peace message
to the peoples on both sides of the Turkish-Armenian border with 44
Siberian wolves that he has trained for sleigh races.

Each wolf will carry a white flag as a symbol of peace, the Armenian
peace activist told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review for
the third Postcard from Armenia.

Khatchikan said his biggest dream is to reach the outskirts of
Mt. Aðrý, or Ararad in Armenian, after getting a visa from Turkey.

Khatchikan said he had made the first official application for his
peace project through the Turkish Embassy in Rome in 2007, but then
decided to delay it. "[Armenian daily] Agos Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink
fell victim to an assassination in Istanbul while my negations were
ongoing with the Turkish authorities. I got confused, so I shelved it."

CLOSED-DOOR MEETING OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WITH CATHOLICOS OF CILICIA ARAM I HELD

Noyan Tapan
Oct 7, 2009

BEIRUT, OCTOBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met
with representatives of the Armenian communities in the Middle East
in Beirut on October 6 as part of his pan-Armenian trip to discuss the
initiative on Armenian-Turkish normalization. Yerkir Media television
company reported that prior to that, a closed-door meeting of the
Armenian president with Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I took place. More
than 100 representatives of Armenian communities participated in
the meeting of Serzh Sargsyan with community members. Aram I did not
attend that meeting.

The Armenian president delivered a 20-minute speech, presenting
his opinion on the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, in
particular the pre-signed protocols. Then he listened to the speeches
of the community representatives, each of who made a 3-minute speech.

Lebanese Armenians’ mass demonstration, which began the day before,
was proceeding in parallel with the meeting.

ARMENIA-NATO IPAP 84 POINTS FULFILLED

Noyan Tapan
Oct 6, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting of the Armenia-NATO
Individual Partnership Actions Plan (IPAP) fulfillment
interdepartmental commission took place on October 5. It was conducted
by RA National Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasarian.

The goal of the Actions Plan is to deepen Armenia’s cooperation with
European and Euroatlantic structures and institutions. 42 events
envisaged by the program include 122 actions, 84 of which have been
already fulfilled.

A. Baghdasarian attached importance to such issues as strengthening
of security on the border and fighting terrorism, organized crime and
cyber crimes envisaged by the program, making up necessary programs
and events, coordinated interdepartmental cooperation, in connection
with which proper decisions were made.

The members of the interdepartmental commission presented the process
of carrying out the actions according to departments.

The commission recorded that the process of implementation of
actions envisaged by the program at Ministries of Foreign Affairs,
Defence, Justice, Emergency Situations, Health and at the National
Security Council completely corresponds to the schedule of program’s
implementation. Working groups have been established by commission’s
decision to work out projects of national information strategy and
national conception of civil defence.

According to the Press Service of the National Security Council
Secretary, commission’s next meeting will be held in 2010 January. The
work done in 2009 will be summed up at the meeting.

‘JERSEY BOYS’ ISN’T JUST ANOTHER NOSTALGIA FEST
By Tim Smith | [email protected]

Baltimore Sun
October 6, 2009

You don’t need to be a fan of the Four Seasons to like the musical

In the crowded field of great American pop acts from the 1960s and
’70s, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons may not rank at the top in
profound artistic quality, but certainly in high notes and – as it
turns out – in back story.

"Jersey Boys," the Tony Award-winning musical that has settled into the
National Theatre for a 10-week run, tells that tale with a disarming
energy, and a whole lot of songs. Although there are moments when you
may expect an announcer to stop the action and solicit donations to
your local PBS station, this isn’t just a nostalgia feast engineered
to unleash fuzzy feelings in people of a certain age.

Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the affectionate, but
unsentimental, show effectively mingles enough biography to produce
genuine and interesting characters onstage. The dialogue rings true,
for the most part, and is often quite funny (a sign in the lobby
warns patrons that "strobe lighting, loud gunfire and authentic,
profane Jersey vocabulary" are used in the show).

Events flash by at quite an entertaining clip – blue-collar Jersey
dives, mobsters, girls, cars, dreams, setbacks, different names
for the group – in between bursts of music. (The pacing suggests a
sensitivity to those with short attention spans.)

Director Des McAnuff has the action flowing in well-oiled fashion
through Klara Zieglerova’s sleek set design, with its metal platforms
and a few props, accented by Michael Clark’s nifty projections. And
the cast achieves a level of ensemble as tight as the Four Seasons’
harmonies.

Joseph Leo Bwarie, who looks rather like Sal Mineo, is quite the
charmer as Frankie Valli, moving in telling detail from shy teen to
confident lead singer. He’s also a classy singer who actually outshines
the original. When it comes to reproducing the falsetto-fueled sound
that gave the its trademark, Bwarie manages to maintain admirable
pitch and tone quality. (Oddly, the show never illustrates how or
why Valli developed an affinity for the vocal stratosphere.)

Matt Bailey brings an easy swagger to the role of the "not properly
socialized" Tommy DeVito, the guy who turned out to be very good and
very bad for the Four Seasons. Steve Gouveia proves quite affecting as
Nick Massi, the kinder, gentler band member, and Josh Franklin offers a
vibrant performance as Bob Gaudio, the guy with the ear and the songs.

The polished supporting cast includes Jonathan Hadley in a delectable
performance as Bob Crewe, the Brian Epstein type (with a touch of
Paul Lynde) in the Four Seasons’ road-to-fame saga.

Structurally, "Jersey Boys" is a bit off-kilter. After the long-ish,
rapid-fire first act, with its zillion incidents, a sudden interest
in more textured, darker plot development arises in the second. (Here
and there, Four Seasons hits are neatly employed in the service of
that plot.) It’s only a short while, though, before the sound-bite
pacing resumes, and the feel-good elements in the story sweep the
audience back up in a golden-oldie frenzy.

As one who’s inclined to hit the scan button if one of their songs
comes on the radio, I can vouch for the fact that you don’t have to be
much of a Four Seasons fan to find "Jersey Boys" engaging. Ultimately,
it’s a refreshing variation on the old theme of taking a chance,
finding your own way, making mistakes, making amends, and, of course,
hanging on to what you’ve got.

Offbeat concerts If it’s from Mobtown Modern, it’s going to be
offbeat, and this week’s concert is no exception. The emphasis is on
low notes, specifically those created by baritone and bass saxophones
and bass clarinet. Saxophonist Brian Sacawa and clarinetist Jennifer
Everhart will be featured in a program of works by David Langfor,
Gerard Griseyfor, Michael Lowenstern, Giacinto Scelsi, and Lee Hylafor.

The concert is at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Metro Gallery, 1700
N. Charles St. Tickets are $5 an door. For more information, go to
mobtownmodern.com.

And over at An die Musik, there will be a concert of music from the
1920s by the Greek-Armenian spiritual figure G. I. Gurdjieff, whose
teachings won him many followers and his share of skeptics. Musical
works he wrote in collaboration with Russian composer and pianist
Thomas de Hartmann will be performed by alto Nancy Caporaso and
pianist Michael Dale at 8 p.m. Thursday at An die Musik, 409 N. Charles
St. Tickets are $10. Call 410-385-2638.

If you go "Jersey Boys" will continue through Dec. 12 at the National
Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington. Tickets are $51.50
to $111.50. Call 800-447-7400 or go to telecharge.com.

Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun